My life in London (and its environs). "Delusional if rather sweet" – Samira Ahmed

Viz Exhibition, Cartoon Museum

Yesterday afternoon I headed to the Cartoon Museum for the Viz exhibition. In terms of publications, Viz has had a very profound impact on the shaping of my dubious character, alongside the Beano, Private Eye and the NME (many Swells, admittedly). It represents the England I imagine I exist in – the England that produced The Day Today, Half Man Half Biscuit, and Francis Wheen; not the one responsible for the X Factor, Keane and Richard Littlejohn. I don’t live in that country.

Here’s a flavour of the exhibition, which I heartily recommend you attend. I particularly liked the big sign saying that Viz is not a children’s comic, which was then roundly ignored by most of the parents present. Not that there’s anything wrong with a seven year old reading “Buster Gonad and his unfeasibly large testicles”. After all, that’s when I started reading, and I turned out alright. Ish.